Sound Effect

When Spotify wanted to create a brand presence at CES 2016 that would educate potential clients about its data and technology capabilities, the music-streaming platform turned to SET experiential-marketing agency. And when SET came up with a production design that included a sound-wave-inspired fabric ceiling, it turned to The Originators.

Based in New York City, The Originators specializes in fabric structures — using cloth and other materials to create tailored elements for events, product launches, shops, and more. For SET and Spotify, that meant a 100-foot-long, slotted ceiling composed of 125 separate panels, using an airy fabric that shimmered with light and shadows. “It was very lightweight,” said Marc Posnock, The Originators’ co-founder and director of sales, “which was key when you’re hanging 125 panels.”

The idea had been to iron the fabric on site, Posnock said, to “minimize some of the wrinkling that could very well occur.” That didn’t happen — and the wrinkles actually helped. “It almost enhanced the fluidity in the overall look, just by having wavy aspects to each individual panel as well as when you looked at it as a whole,” Posnock said. “It created a very fluid, rhythmic, undulating ceiling.”